The International Olympic Committee (IOC) held a videoconference meeting with the International Olympic Summer Sports Federations about the preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, under the new circumstances, caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the extensive statement, the IOC encouraged all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games:
“The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage, and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”
Obviously, the postponement of the Games isn’t a possible scenario at this moment. The IOC and the Local Organizing Committee are working to ensure the Games start on July 24th.
But, the coronavirus spread disrupted the qualification process for Tokyo. However, the IOC has a reserve plan if the qualifications can’t be finished until July 24th.
The IOC announced:
“To date, 57 percent of the athletes are already qualified for the Games. For the remaining 43 percent of places, the IOC will work with the International Federations to make any necessary and practical adaptations to their respective qualification systems for Tokyo 2020, in line with the following principles:
1. All quota places that have already been allocated to date remain allocated to the NOCs and athletes that obtained them.
2. The possibility remains to use existing and scheduled qualification events, wherever these still have fair access for all athletes and teams.
3. All necessary adaptations to qualification systems and all allocation of remaining places will be: a) based on on-field results (e.g. IF ranking or historical results); and b) reflect where possible the existing principles of the respective qualification systems (e.g. use of rankings or continental/regional specific event results).”
As for water polo, the qualification process is almost over. The World Qualification Tournaments for men and women remain to be played in Trieste (women) and Rotterdam (men).
Nine teams have qualified for the men’s tournament in Tokyo and there are still three available places at the World Qualification Tournament.
Ten teams will compete at the women’s Olympic tournament, eight teams have secured their berths.
Any necessary revisions to the Tokyo 2020 qualification systems by sport will be published by the beginning of April.
The IOC has confidence that the many measures being taken around the world will help contain the situation of the COVID-19 virus and has agreed on the following overriding principles about the staging of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020:
“1. To protect the health of everyone involved and to support the containment of the virus.
2. To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport.
The IOC will continue to monitor the situation 24/7. Already in mid-February, a task force was set up consisting of the IOC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Japanese authorities, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
The purpose of the task force is to ensure coordinated actions by all stakeholders…The task force monitors the implementation of the various actions decided. The IOC will continue to follow the guidance of this task force. The IOC’s decision will not be determined by financial interests, because thanks to its risk management policies and insurance it will, in any case, be able to continue its operations and accomplish its mission to organize the Olympic Games”, the IOC announced among other things
Thomas Bach, the IOC President said:
“The health and well-being of all those involved in the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is our number-one concern. All measures are being taken to safeguard the safety and interests of athletes, coaches and support teams. We are an Olympic community; we support one another in good times and in difficult times. This Olympic solidarity defines us as a community.”
After the consultations with the International Federations, the IOC will follow up with the national -Olympic committees and the athletes’ representatives in the coming days.
Water polo teams qualified for the Olympic Games and available berths
Men
Qualified teams
Serbia– World League winner
Italy – World champion
Spain – silver medal at the World Championships
USA – gold medal at the Pan American Games
Australia – Oceanian Continental Selection
Hungary – European champion
South Africa – the representative of Africa
Kazakhstan – the champion of the Asian Games
Japan – host
Available berths
Top three teams from the qualification tournament in Rotterdam (postponed to May 31-June 7)
Participants at the tournament in Rotterdam
Group A: Greece, Montenegro, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Turkey.
Group B: Croatia, Germany, Russia, Romania, Netherlands, France.
Women
Qualified teams
USA – World League winner
Spain – silver medalist at the World Championships
Russia – silver medalist at the European Championships
Canada – silver medalist at the Pan American Games
Australia – Oceanian Continental Selection
South Africa – African Continental Selection
China – the champion of the Asan Games
Japan – host
Available berths
Top two teams from the qualification tournament in Trieste (postponed to May 17-24).
Participants at the tournament in Trieste
Group A: Italy, Netherlands, France, Uzbekistan, Slovakia
Group B:Hungary, Greece, New Zealand, Israel, Kazakhstan
